SIU investigating defence dept over COVID-era tender
JOHANNESBURG - The Department of Defence is being investigated for a COVID-era tender related to the supply of elastic loops for surgical masks.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed a proclamation for the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to probe a tender issued in 2021 by the Central Procurement Service Centre.
The centre is a procurement unit within the defence department.
SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said they were investigating whether there were any cases of maladministration on the part of the department or service providers.
"The SIU probe will examine whether the procurement and contracting were made in a manner that is not fair, competitive, transparent, equitable, or cost-effective or in violation of applicable legislation, guidelines, or instructions from the National Treasury. This includes the department's or the state's unauthorised, irregular, or wasteful expenditure. Furthermore, the SIU will seek to establish if there was any misappropriation of unidentified payments received by the department."
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